Howdy
Ive just finsished quickly processing a 1 hour 45 minute image of the Helix Nebula I took earlier this morning. Its 7 x 15 minute ISO 400 images, using UHCS and UV/IR filter, MPCC and modified 350D camera on my 10 inch F5.6 scope, started imaging about 3 am, off axis hand guided. The Northeast Arc is clearly visible, as is an object called the Northeast Object, a little further to the left. Those objects are mapped out here
http://exploration.vanderbilt.edu/im...ix_nebula2.jpg
I may have a hint of the Northwest and Southeast Outer features. Theres a number of faint background galaxies scattered throughout. Darks flats and offsets processed in Iris then finished in Photoshop. Ive never gone so long on one object before, amazing how far it moves across the sky in that time too. I was lucky to get it as when I got up the scope that Id left out after getting about 2 hours sleep was covered in dew, but using a dewshield kept it from getting on the secondary. It was foggy too but it miraciously cleared as I prepared to take some short test images to verify I was on the Helix and ready to go.
I might see about reprocessing it again later on to see if I can coax more detail out of it.
Scott